Planning the Bathroom Rejuvenation

As usual, I have spent most of the summer at home hiding from the hot sun.  (Oh, how I love air conditioning!)  I've been watching too much DIY Network and thinking about my next big DIY project -- redoing the bathroom.

This project is best approached with some smart planning because there is only one bathroom in the house. Any delays in the process will be problematic.  I'm not keen on parking a port-a-potty in my driveway or washing my hair in the kitchen sink. :P

I've decided on the general look that I want; now I'm pondering the details, such as sink, faucet and vanity.  What I want is something like this:

Or this:

What I can afford is something like this:

The harsh sting of reality.  :P  It's time to get creative!  I started a Pinterest board to gather ideas.

Next, I have to figure out how to replace the flooring... a portion of which is, of course, underneath the toilet.

Sewing Storage

My sewing storage got a little upgrade with some new IKEA pieces.  I purchased Borgsjo shelf units in brown, which coordinates well with my dark walnut flooring.

The shelves in the left cabinet hold a bin containing trim, a box of lace, and a box of patterns. The boxes are the type that hold reams of paper (nice and sturdy!) covered with self-adhesive paper to make them prettier.

This size box works well for patterns.

(Though I keep frequently used patterns clipped to a hanger in the closet so that I don't have to iron the pattern pieces flat every time I want to use them.) 

The upper shelves hold my sewing tote along with boxes of ribbon, trim, notions, etc.

The shelves in the right cabinet hold my fabric stash (which is currently quite small!). I always pre-wash my cottons before adding them to the stash so that I can pull them out and use them whenever the mood strikes. Every piece of fabric has a label pinned to it so that I can tell at a glance how many yards I have without having to unfold the fabric.

A set of Antonius sliding baskets hold my scrap stash (which is currently quite large!). Pieces of fabric smaller than one yard are rolled up and rubber banded. This keeps the scraps tidy and allows me to easily find what I'm looking for.

I need to get creative and find ways to use all those scraps!  :)

A Nice, Hot Shower. Or Not.

When I left my last job, I had to put house projects on hold until I had an income again. Top of the list to be finished the moment I have the funds is my bathroom. In particular, the shower needs major help.

The tub/shower handles have been a real nuisance for a while now. They keep getting more and more difficult to turn. Even better, the cold water handle sometimes turns itself off, which makes for a REALLY HOT shower. The only way to prevent the cold water from turning itself off is to turn it on full blast, which makes for a REALLY COLD shower. If I fiddle with the handles enough -- five or even ten minutes -- I can finally get them to settle down and provide water of a tolerable temperature.

I had the same problem about two years ago. In an adventure much like the one TanteFledermaus posted about here and here, I tried replacing the faucet stems. This was tricky, especially trying to work with mechanisms inside a wall, and eventually I had to call in a professional. The new handles worked fine for a year or so, then started up with their old tricks. :(  I don't want to have to constantly replace the stems. I want to install a newer type faucet that is easier to use and doesn't wear out so quickly. That is definitely a job for a pro.

As if "auto-scald" handles weren't enough, things got even more interesting last night. See the hose and the showerhead here...

They are supposed to be connected to each other. And until last night, they were. I was holding the showerhead when suddenly the hose broke free and started writhing around spraying water like an out-of-control firehose. That was fun. :P

It could have been much worse, though. I had dyed my hair, and the hose and showerhead stayed attached long enough for me to rinse it. Whew!

Luckily, showerheads are an easy DIY replacement. Good thing, too, because washing my hair in the kitchen sink is not an appealing prospect.

I have to say... reliable, comfortably hot showers are something we often take for granted. Until they're gone. :/

Dining Chair Revamp

Changing the seat covers is an easy way to revamp dining chairs. A coat of paint sometimes helps, too. :)  For my new (old) dining chairs, I kept the look simple with basic black-on-black.

I found the chairs (and matching dining table) on craigslist. The chairs were sturdy, but the seat covers were in horrible shape.

The original covers had been gold, like the chair on the left above. The seats were later covered with a beige fabric (by someone who should never be allowed near a stapler again).

After pulling out what felt like 10,000 staples, I removed the beige fabric to reveal... more staples!

When I tried to remove the ancient gold fabric, it practically disintegrated. After pulling it off the first seat in strips and strings, I decided to leave it on the other seats. To help smooth out the worn corners and provide a bit of padding, I added a layer of white fleece.

For the main cover fabric, I used some black velvet that I had on hand. I laid it out, placed the seat on top, and cut the fabric about 2-3 inches larger than the seat.

Keeping the fabric taut, I stapled it in place, paying special attention to folding the corners.

I spray painted the chairs black and put the seats in place. Done!

Sewing Expo Outfit

Last weekend, I went to the Rocky Mountain Sew Expo. It's billed a "Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival." That's definitely a descending order description, as the expo was mostly quilting, some crafting, and only a little sewing. The place was filled with quilt creations of every imaginable type, which I enjoyed seeing even though I'm not a quilter. Most of the clothing was what I'd call "wearable art" -- store-bought clothing with appliques, embroidery, decorative stitching and/or other stuff added to it. I like recons as much as the next gal; in fact, I picked up an idea or two to try, but I have to say I was a little disappointed with the lack of booths featuring from-scratch fashion sewing.

I wore my typical outfit -- black tee, homemade skirt, black tights and black boots. Instead of my usual cardigan, I wore a vest because I knew I'd be too hot in a room filled with people.

I thought I might get a compliment or two on my skirt; it was a sewing expo, after all. But I was totally unprepared for all the attention I got. I was barely through the gate when I got the first compliment. Everywhere I went, I could hear people remarking on my skirt or my outfit. At least a dozen people complimented me directly. It was surreal. I was surrounded by people who quilt, craft or sew (or at least have an interest in quilting, crafting or sewing), and they were going nuts over a basic cotton skirt.

Though most of this outfit is in heavy rotation, I rarely wear the vest because (and you'll be shocked to hear this) it's too short in the torso. I know that nobody notices, but it bugs me.

The vest was a chance find at an odd store in the outlet mall. I liked it so much, I bought it despite the fit issue. It's made of a comfortable stretchy fabric that does not wrinkle, and the buttons are nifty. Best of all, it has a detachable white ruffle which is ingeniously attached by a series of buttons inside the vest.

buttons all around the inside of the vest

white ruffle buttoned in

ta-da! vest with ruffle attached

I get the look of a ruffled blouse without an extra layer that would make me too hot.

I should wear this vest more often, but first I need to sew some of the buttons back on. Because the vest is too short, I'm constantly pulling it down. I've managed to yank off the buttons along the bottom, leaving the ruffle hanging unattached. :P

Batty Car

After running errands this past weekend, I treated myself to dinner. Well, it was a plain baked potato from a drive-through... but any food is a treat if I don't have to cook it myself. Anyway... the girl at the drive-through said to me, "Oh, you're the one with the Batman car! My brother was telling me about you! He went on and on about how cool your car is."

my cool car

My reactions to this:
Woo! I'm famous! (Ha ha ha!)
Somebody thinks I'm cool. Or at least my car is. That's quite an accomplishment. ;)
And most importantly -- I need to change my tag so people will stop thinking it's a Batman car.

When I first put the bat decals on my car, I got comments about the bats on my car. But in the last year or so, I have been getting comments about Batman. My tag has my name on it, and people are apparently interpreting that as a nod to the villian Bane in the last Batman movie. I suppose the front mask might evoke Batman as well. ;)

Maybe I should get a "LUVBATS" tag.

Another New Look for Old Canisters

I have a set of square canisters that hold dog food and treats. When I bought them at a thrift store, they were brown and scratched. I gave them a new look with paintable wallpaper.

After redoing my kitchen in black, grey and white, I wanted to add a bit of color (purple, of course) with accessories. The canisters sit out on my counter, so they were a perfect candidate for bepurpling.

First, I pulled off the paintable wallpaper. Next, to give the canisters a smooth surface, I covered them with wall liner (a heavy paper used behind wallpaper). I then rolled on a coat of the purple paint that I used on my dining table.

Inexplicably, the paint went on with a mottled appearance. I rather like it. :)